This zine was produced by an avid listener of hip-hop with a keen ear for lyrical excellence. have been listening to rap music ever since the day discovered file-sharing. used to drive my mom crazy with the lyrics she would hear to the point where she told me had to choose a new genre of music to listen to. Music other than rap was cool but there was no way could live my life without a beat running through my brain. decided to invest in an MP3 player and a pair of headphones. Ever since that day my interest in rap music has just kept growing and growing. Of course, not every rapper is lyrically gifted. Any rapper can find a catchy beat and make tracks. t takes dedication, talent, and adversity for a rap artist to connect with his listeners. That is why chose Kendrick Lamar, a 25 year old artist from Compton, California to focus on in this zine. His music reaches out to whoever takes the time to truly listen to the message he delivers. \ 'm not going to sit here and tell you grew up in the ghetto and the reason like Kendrick is because can relate to what he's been through. 'm just a white boy who grew up in the suburbs. The reason why am infatuated with Kendrick Lamar's music is because he speaks the truth. Now understand that not everybody is a rap fanatic like am but believe that if you take one deep breath, place those headphones into your ears and press play you will enjoy what you hear. J
The first song is called Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter - you can feel the repentance Kendrick looks to achieve in this first track because the song starts with a prayer recited by him and his boys, Kendrick lets you know that this album is going to take you on a ride. We embark on this journey with a calm beat and a story about how Kendrick met his first love, Sherane in a nightclub. Near the halfway point of the song, Kendrick uses his mom's minivan to go see Sherane. By detailing his thoughts he builds up the anticipation of this "visit." The song ends as he pulls up to Sherane's house "She wave at me across the street, pulled up a smile on my face and then see 2 n*ggas 2 black hoodies froze as my phone rang." The beat cuts out and the song continues with Kendrick's concerned mother leaving a voicemail, curious as to why he has not returned with the van. t
The third song on the album is called Backseat Freestyle. This song has a very powerful beat and really shows off Kendrick's aggressive style. "Martin have a dream! Kendrick have a dream!" Kendrick's immediate comparison between his dream and the dream Martin Luther King Jr. had portrays how strong his aspirations are. Kendrick is known for his vocal variation and he knows that not everyone appreciates it but he sends his critics a message with the line "This voice here is golden so tuck y'all goes in." think the variety of tones Kendrick is able to personify is a testament to his talent. This is a very strong and forceful song that hypes up the listener. \
The Art of Peer Pressure - This song is one of the best songs on the entire album when it comes to storytelling. Kendrick lets us know that he may act differently when it is "Me and the homies." " got the blunt in my mouth, usually 'm drug-free but shit, 'm with the homies." Not only is Kendrick takin tokes but he is participating in a bit of criminal activity as told by this track. He makes it known that they are in unfamiliar territory in the line, "They knew we weren't from round there cause every time we down there, we pulling out the Boost Mobile sim cards." After approaching a group of attractive girls Kendrick and his crew start to interrogate a group of guys in colors they don't like. The song concludes after Kendrick and his crew robs a house and eludes the police. "We made a right, then made a left, then made a right then made a left, we was just circling life... (police sirens ring) but they made a right, then made a left, then made a right then another right one lucky night with the homies." This song tells a great story and gives the listener great insight into what it was like for Lamar to live in the heart of Compton. t
good kid - Kendrick's lyrical intelligence is on display in this terrific song that details the harassment he faced living in Compton, California. The line "But what am supposed to do when the topic is red or blue?" is very interesting because Kendrick stayed neutral to the gang scene but faced the situation of "red or blue" every day on the streets. Kendrick was harassed daily by gangs for lack of affiliation or by cops who assumed he was gang affiliated because of his characteristics. n the first verse Kendrick refers to gangs, "Step on my neck and get blood on your Nike checks." He gives an example of police brutality in the line " heard them chatter he's young but know that he's probably down. Step on his neck as hard as your bullet proof vest." These lines are parallel because of the similarity between what Kendrick had to deal with between gangs and the LAPD. He was hassled by either the Bloods or Crips (red or blue) or from police officers (whose sirens are red and blue). The best part is that both of these lines end in " don't mind because one day you'll respect the good kid, m.a.a.d. city." Kendrick has certainly gained respect due to his musical work along with the strong will-power that he used to get where he is today. \ /
m.a.a.d. city (feat. MC Eiht) -This song has one of the hardest beats on the entire soundtrack. This beat really gets the blood flowing and motivates the mind. The lyrics on this track are meant to create awareness of the reality of life in the ghetto. A lot of rappers will glorify the fact that they sell cocaine, but not Kendrick. He makes it apparent that this isn't a typical rap song in the very first line, "Brace yourself, 'll take you on a trip down memory lane this is not a rap on how 'm slangin crack or move cocaine." Throughout the song he tells a lot of how violent encounters normally end and gives subtle hints as to who murdered his Uncle Tony. n the middle of the song the beat changes but the moral of the song remains the same. He continues to reiterate the themes of gang violence and drug dealing that take place in Compton. The line, "f mentioned all of my skeletons, would you jump in the seat?" means that if Kendrick told everybody what he did in the past would you still support him? Kendrick has been applauded for his terrific musical work solely because that was his goal: to escape the ghetto and tell about it in his music. Regardless of what he did when he was "young and dumb" he is clearly an intelligent man and it is shown in his artwork. t
Kendrick Lamar Today As of February 2013 Good Kid m.a.a.d. city sold 731,000 copies. The acronym m.a.a.d. has two meanings: my Angels on Angel dust and my Angry Adolescence divided. Kendrick Lamar continues to rap and is a part of Top Dawg Entertainment. This group, TOE also likes to refer to themselves as Black Hippy.